Red         - RGB

Green      - inspection from any mode

Orange    - RGB to new Lab image

Mauve      - subroutines or special actions

Yellow    - Lab

Grey        - group names

Blue        - any

Darker Grey - Notes

See…

 - useful set to inspect from different perspectives

RGB channels

Shows the 3 RGB channels as masks

HSB/HSL channels

Needs a plugin to work – use CurveMeister instead!

Lab Spectrum

Creates a Lab image to experiment with

RGB >Apply Luminosity

Applies the 3 RGB channels as Luminosity masks (equivalent to Ch Contrast/Sharpening)

LAB channels

Shows the Lab channels as masks

LAB chs Auto

Shows the Lab channels after applying AutoLevels to each channel

LABcolour+grey Ch

Shows the Lab channels in their colours and beneath as masks

LAB>L overlay

Applies the 3 Lab channels overlaid on the Luminosity channel

Invert LAB > L overlay

Applies the 3 Lab channels Inverted and overlaid on the Luminosity channel

LAB chS overlay

Applies the 3 Lab channels overlaid on to their own channels

CurrentImage

Creates a layer of the visible image so far

Creates a new layer & ALTkey + Layer> Merge Visible.

Make Diff Layer

This is a great way to capture the changes in a Difference layer - do your sharpening as *differences* from the current image, storing them on these layers. Then you can base each correction on that current image, and turn them on/off independently, or mask, etc..

Basically create a Current Image and then uses Apply Image, using the lower layer as the source. Blending = Subtract, Opacity = 100%, Scale = 2, Offset = 128 and sets the blend to Linear Light.  A  more refined Jacob Rus action (for rgb or lab), based on this idea - see the Stop message.

Better D&Burn

Creates 2 Luminosity Curve layers to play with – adjust curve & then Invert Mask and paint.

50% Grey

Creates a dodge/burn layer in SoftLight blend.  For great effect try Overlay

Layer> New Layer…> color=Gray + SoftLight + Fill 50%

Rgb>Lab (flat New W)

Creates a new image & sets the mode to Lab colour space (flattening it in the process)

Lab>rgb (flat same W)

Flattens and converts the Lab image to RGB

SnapShot

Creates a History snapshot

1 Inspect & Analyse

 - use the 1/3rd before cropping

See 11 channels

Creates a new image with the following 3 rows (not needed with CM!)
Original L A B
R G B desaturated
C M Y K

Show RGB CH > Grey

Shows the 3 RGB channels relative to mid-grey (128), I find this helps when playing with channels as I'm not very good at recognising mid-grey.

1/3rd Grid lines

Creates layer holding 3 grid lines to help with cropping.
Edit>Transform>Scale to move and scale the grid

Uses the custom shaped tool in a new layer at 50% opacity

2 Levels+ColourCast

 - I always use one, or more, of these to get the ball rolling

NeatImage

Creates a new ‘CurrentImage’ layer & starts NeatImage

FocusMagic

Creates a new ‘CurrentImage’ layer & starts FocusMagic

Smart Curves

Creates a new ‘CurrentImage’ layer & starts SmartCurve

CurveMeister - F2

Creates a new ‘CurrentImage’ layer & starts CurveMeister

Tone+Colour+Sat

Creates 3 separate adjustment Curves for Tones, Colour & Saturation
The Saturation layer is set hidden & S-curved!

+1 EV

Creates an adjustment layer to increase the exposure by roughly 1 stop

Adds a curves adjustment layer with Screen blend

VividLight postcard

Quick Dan Margulis idea to ‘pop’ a well exposed image.
Grey layer controls impact of effect, which can be modified by Curving and altering the opacity of the VividLight layer.
For more control, reduce opacity of 50% Grey layer to 50% or so and use a flat ‘Jacob Ladder’ Curve!

Creates a new layer from the visible image in Vivid Light blend, grouped with a Curve adjustment + 50% grey layer at 90% opacity.

-1 EV

Creates an adjustment layer to decrease the exposure by roughly 1 stop

Adds a curves adjustment layer with Multiply blend

3 Contrast

 - a very handy set

Channel Contrast

Quick action to apply a channel to alter contrast and sets new layer to Luminosity blend.  Great for adding contrast to bright or dark areas (better than below!).

Creates a new layer from the visible image in Luminosity blend and stops & then runs Image>Apply Image

Apply ch >RGB Luminosity

Quick action to apply a channel in Luminosity blend to a new layer

Creates a new layer from the visible image in Luminosity blend and runs Image>Apply Image

G ContrastSharpen

“Standard' Dan Margulis action .  Select the channel with best contrast – usually Green.
Beware of colour changes, especially red turning to black!  Changing to ColorDodge can be interesting.

The selected channel is added as an Overlay blend layer with the ‘This Layer’ of BlendIf set to 0/0 70/255 – thereby restricting the highlights.

R ContrastSharpen

B ContrastSharpen

ContrastMask -Blur 10+

All channel contrast mask - only run from an image layer.
You will need to then Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur 10-30 pixels or more!
Try Vivid Light blend mode for fun.

Creates a layer from a Desatured Inverted copy of the image layer and sets the blend mode to Overlay.

Local Auto-Levels

1px

A fantastic idea and very effective on dull images - equivalent to doing AutoLevels over differently sized areas of the image rather than the whole of it.
Sometimes PS fails to select correct window when multiple images are present – no idea why!!

Does the work in a separate image – but adds a named set on the original for copying into.

2px

4px Slow

7px Very Slow

13px Very SLOW

25px Very SLOW

50px Very SLOW

100px VerySLOW

Light/Dark Contrast

Subtle B&W contrast action, needs a fairly large blur radius.

Light/Dark <> grey

Even more B&W control to feather edges

LocalC 5-20 30-100

Quick Local Contrast.
Creates a new layer from the visible image and applies an Unsharp Mask of 13% with 70 pixel radius.
If this is not sufficient, then undo the Unsharp step and try between 5-20% and 30-100 pixels.

Creates a new layer from the visible image in overlay blend and then applies an UnSharp Mask of 13% with 70 pixels.

Shadow/HighLight

SImulates the CS2+ tool, but with more control

Creates a new set (Opacity @ 22%) with 2 adjustment curves.
Need to set a good B&W mask

-- Light & Shadow

 - you should inspected the channels first

G Hilight/Shadow

“Standard' Dan Margulis action .  Select the channel with best contrast – usually Green.
You will need to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur the 2 ‘Inv Ch to Blur’ layers to Lighten and Darken the image.  How much to blur is fairly sensitive – watch dark/light edges if you use a large blur amount.
Switch off the ‘Ch Lighten’ layer while you do the darkening. Note the Darken layer’s opacity is set at 50%.

Creates 2 layers of the current visible image (with Darken and Lighten blends) and then places an inverted copy of the selected channel, as a grouped layer, above each of them in Overlay blend.

R Hilight/Shadow

B Hilight/Shadow

Harsh Sun/Shadows

“Standard' Dan Margulis action using Luminosity.  But, for example, in flesh tone images, making a selection based on the red channel will probably work better.  Watch for halos and you may need to apply a curve to restore the full range.

Severe Shadow/HiLight

This is quite crude, but does not produce halos.

Shadow/HiLight cmd

Simulates the Shadow/HighLight CS2 adjustment giving 2 Level adjustment layers.
Adjust mid point of Levels to control shadow/highlight.

Uses BlendIF sliders to control the Levels.

- - -LightenShadow >

Gentle - curves

Adds a Curve adjustment layer in Screen blend.
Move Curve diagonal

Violent - Levels

Adds a Level adjustment layer in Screen blend.

Controlled - BlendIF

Reasonable Shadow lightener – just reduce Opacity of layer

Creates a new layer from the visible image in Screen blend, with BlendIf slider set to 0:0 & 0:255..

Controlled - BlendIF

Reasonable Shadow lightener – just reduce Opacity of layer

Creates a new layer from the Lightness channel in Screen blend, with BlendIf slider set to 0:0 & 0:255.

Mask

Crude shadow lightener – only run from an image layer.
Change Opacity to suit.
Try Overlay, SoftLight or ColorDodge modes, to add colour to the shadows.

Selects Highlights (Select> ColorRange…>Highlight), expands by 5 pixels, inverses the selection and feathers it by 10 pixels.  This is then used to form a Mask for a new layer copy of the image, with blend mode = Screen .

- - -DarkenHiLights >

Gentle - curves

Adds a Curve adjustment layer in Multiply blend.
Move Curve diagonal

Violent - Levels

Adds a Level adjustment layer in Multiply blend.

Controlled - BlendIF

Reasonable HighLight Darkener – just reduce Opacity of layer

Creates a new layer from the visible image in Multiply blend, with BlendIf slider set to 0:255 & 255:255..

Controlled - BlendIF

Reasonable HighLight Darkener – just reduce Opacity of layer

Creates a new layer from the the Lightness channel in Multiply blend, with BlendIf slider set to 0:255 & 255:255.

RGB>Lab L channel

Places the RGB ‘luminosity’ channel as the Lab L channel, while retaining the original colours of the image (because RGB will have changed them!). 
Useful when using RGB for Tone correction in images requiring a delicate touch.

Oh My! (blend)

For massive adjustment to dull image.
Play with Opacity, Mask and BlendIf for effects

Adds 2 Curve adjustment layers with Multiply and Overlay blends.

Oh My! (layers)

As above, but creates images layers instead of adjustment layers – only run from an image layer.
You can paint on the images as well as the masks

Adds 2 image layers with Multiply and Overlay blends.

4 Colour

 - not often used, as CurveMeister is better!

LabSat -new window

Creates a new Lab image and saturates the colour.
This will probably be much too much, but you can reduce it using the Opacity and individually alter the colour ratio using BlendIf sliders on the A & B channels – or alter the curves.

The image is flattened in RGB space before converting to Lab.  A new Set is created with 2 adjustment layers for the channels.  The A & B channel curves are then set to 55,0 & 200,255 to saturate the colours

Sky-darkening

Uses the Blue channel to darken the sky, with an optional blur.
Lowering opacity of Foliage layer will lighten the greens.

Creates on Overlay inverted Blue channel layer under a copy of the image set to Darken blend

Improve Weak Sky

A Dan Margulis suggestion, which should always improve a weak sky.  Watch for noise in the sky and adverse effects on other areas of the image, which may need Masking.

Uses the Red channel

Enhance Dull Vegetation

A Dan Margulis suggestion, which normally works, but may alter other colours, so inspect carefully and follow the instructions!

Adds an adjustment Channel Mixer layer with the Green channel set to 130% Green and –30% Blue.

Polarise Sky

Allows colour enhancement – select (sky) area first.
You can then select colour by double-click on adjustment layer.

Adds a Fill layer with Color Burn blend.

LabSat - 1 Curve

Creates the Colour saturation adjustment layers, in a single adjustment layer

Chromatic Aberration

Attempts to remove colour fringing

Colouring

Creates a layer for colour painting

Adds an empty layer in ColorDodge blend.

LabSat Curve Set

Creates the Colour saturation adjustment layers, as in the LabSat action (above)

Colour Blind View

Adjusts the A Lab channel to simulate what a colour blind person may see

ManFromMars =ise

A mad idea – using Equalise to produce a vivid Man from Mars.  Reduce opacity like stink!

5 Sharpening

 - the difficult one, because it depends on Output size/media

Midtone 20-40%

This applies contrast to the mid-tones.  The Opacity is set to 30% as one normally uses between 20% and 40%.  Beware of halos.

Creates a new layer from the visible image in overlay blend.  Applies a HighPass filter of  50 pixels. The ‘This Layer’ of BlendIf is set to 50/70 and 185/205 to limit the effect to the midtone.

+Lighten/Darken

The above action may be modified by immediately playing this action, which allows further lighten/darken adjustment.  It is advisable to set the Opacity high-ish in the MidTone layer so you have something to back off from.

For RGB, creates two new layers from the visible image and changes their blend modes to Lighten and Darken.

Otherwise duplicates the Midtone layer and uses to BlendIf sliders to only effect Lightening or Darkening.

+Lighten/Darken

PostCard Sharp

A Dan Margulis action, which is excellent at automating sharpening.

Very complex – so in new window.

USM 500:1+50:20

Quite strong – it will need a mask and lower opacity.

Applies 2 UnSharp masks on a new luminosity layer from the visible image.

High Pass Sharpen

Different approach – using High Pass with a Hard Light blend

High pass set at 3 pixels

my USM dark+light

My sharpening action - excellent at halo & threshold control.
Set Threshold = 0 in USM dialog.

Requires applying the unsharpened image to create difference masks, which can then be curved for Threshold and more

Li/DarkHaloControl

Simple Halo control with 2 layers set to Lighten and Darken blends

HIRALOAM sharp

High Radius Low Amount – try 50>100:40>65

HIRALOAM sharpen

USM 500-1+50-20

Quite strong – it may need a mask and lower opacity.

Applies 2 UnSharp masks to the L channels of a new  layer from the visible image.

KmaskUSM .7-1.5

Adjust the Unsharp Mask between 0.7 and 1.5 pixels.
Then on the last adjustment if the image is not sharp enough, lighten the curve midpoint or darken it if too sharp.
When happy copy the layer back to the original image and delete the duplicate image.

Creates an image from an Inverted Black channel of the CMYK colour space, then apply Auto levels and a Gaussian blur of 2 pixels and copies it.
In a duplicate flattened new image, a Luminosity layer of the visible image is added with BlendIf slider set to 5/10 and 242/250.
Then gets a Selection (Cntrl+Alt) on the copied image of the Black channel.  Adds this as a mask to the new layer and applies an UnSharp Mask before presenting a Curve adjustment on the mask.

-           Fraser..

(needs CBsActions subroutines)

 from Bruce Fraser book "Image Sharpening with CS2"

Sharpening 6meg

Suggested sharpening for 6meg images + content

Sharpening 4meg

Suggested sharpening for 4meg images + content

Depth Sharpening

Use Mask to simulate depth of field - USM of 500%, 4 pixels & HighPass of 25 pixels.

Texture Sharpen

Brings out detail in flat surfaces

6 applications of USM

Perceptive Sharpen

Sometimes helps when an image has been enlarged

Applies noise in new a 50% Soft Light layer

6 Look Look LOOK

 - to remind me to check what I've done

Difference

Shows the differences from the original background layer, using the Make Diff Layer logic

Takes a copy of the Background layer, duplicates the image with flattening. The adds the original background  layer and runs a modified Make Diff Layer action.

See Changes

Attempts to show difference between before and after.
The bottom layer of the new window is the ‘after’ image.

Takes a copy of the Background layer, duplicates the image with flattening. The adds the original background as a Difference blend layer and finally changes the contrast using Levels.

SKIN

 - I only tend to use the first two

Blown HiLight (skin)

Uses Lab impossible colours to add colour back into blown highlights

Skin Enhance > Lab

A Dan Margulis action, which enhances the skin colour, but may muck up other colours so a mask and opacity change will probably be required.  Need to reduce Opacity of layers

Does Skin Enhance pt1 and pt2 – below in a new Lab image.

Skin Enh pt1 (G ch)

Slightly improves the skin tones

Applies the Green channel to a new layer of the current visible image in Luminosity blend.

Skin Enh pt2 > newW

Enhances the shin colour.

Overlays the A and B channels on themselves.

Peach

Changing Profiles to help skin colours

Smooth Skin

Attempts to blur just the skin – but a mask maybe needed to exclude other elements in the picture. Paint on the masks (white for Makeup & black for Details) to add the effects

Creates a new layer from the visible image containing selected HighLights, feathers by 2 pixels. Suggests a gaussian blur of 5 pixels

Plastic !

Makes skin into plastic, with reduce opacity

Crude Smooth

Attempts to smooth the skin with no selections

Jacobs Ladder

 - there is a page describing this technique

See LAB chs Auto

Run this first to see which Channel to use as the Controlling channel.  It will create a new window showing the 3 Lab channels side by side as they will be used in the following 'Auto By..' actions.  Delete this image when you have inspected it.  

Auto By Lch

These 3 actions will create the Layers using either the L, a or b channel to control the adjustments.  They will give you the option of blurring the channel, which may be necessary for a or b, to get a smooth transition of colour.  The actions include an AutoLevels adjustment on the controlling channel to make sure the entire width of the curve dialog is useable.  If you do not like the result, then use the 'Manual By' actions.  

Auto By A ch

Auto By B ch

Lab>RGB

This action will convert the Lab image back to RGB for you.

Flat Curve

This creates a grouped Curve adjustment Layer and sets all the 3 channel curves as horizontal lines.  

Manual By Lch

These actions allow you to curve the appropriate channel, rather than have AutoLevels applied - useful for some images.  Note it uses some actions from my standard set (CBactions) which must therefore be present.  

Manual By A ch

Manual By B ch

Zoom

Creates a controlling layer at 80% opacity

Auto all 3 chs

This action creates 3 sets of adjustment layers in case you need different controlling channels.  Rus uses this, but being simple minded I tend to just play with one adjustment at a time.  Note this must be started when the image is already in Lab mode.

ColourByLch

These actions are present in case you want an addition Jacob layers based on the adjustments you have made so far - so the image will already be in Lab mode

ColourByAch

ColourByBch

Lch to ALL

Use this action if you want a different sort of controlling image (perhaps from RGB space) - place your chosen image into the L channel before running it.  You will then need to add the Flat curve and Zoom layers.

OTHERS

 - bits and bobs

Replace Sky Notes

 in case I forget!

Paint Light Notes

Mist Blur

Adds a rich glow to images

Emphasise Blur

Orton Blur- simple

Allows a simple Orton effect by applying a Gaussian blur of between 20-30 pixels to the top layer.

Creates 3 layers from the visible image. Top layer is set to Multiply and the middle to Screen.

Orton Blur

Refined Orton effect with facility to alter the blur and sharp layers.  A default blur of 20 pixels is added – which may be redefined by going back 2 history steps.

Multiple steps – basically over-exposes image by 2 stops and then create a sharp and blurred layer with grouped Level adjustments to alter exposure.

Emphasis after Selection

Adds a slight darkening to edge of image.
You need to select the main area first on an image layer.

Inverses the selection and then guassian blurs it by 150 pixels. Adds this as a mask to a solid fill layer with Multiply blend.

Paint-Light HighPass

Adds light around objects in a new window – not very good!  Must be started from an Image Layer

Create a new image, duplicates the top layer in Overlay blend and applies a High Pass filter at 21.1 pixels.

Fun

Amazing Circles

Switches selection between Polar to Rectangular coordinates

subs

 - general subroutines

iDRange+/-1 no Flatten

Not a subroutine – kept to remind one how to merge multiple exposure images

iDRange+/-2 no flatten

CS Digital Grey Card

Helps correct a colour cast – interest value only

CurrentImage

Creates a layer of the visible image so far – used everywhere

Creates a new layer & ALTkey + Layer> Merge Visible.

subLocalContrast

Used by all the Local Auto-Levels actions

sub Ch Hi/Sh to Blur

Used by the 3 Hilight/Shadow actions

sub Ch Contrast / Sharpening

Used by the 3 ContrastSharpen actions

sub Ch Hi/Sh - blur30

 - not used anymore

Sharpening_Layer

Fraser – preSharpen layer

ContentSharp

Fraser – basic action for the Sharpening 4/6meg images